JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hundreds of turkeys were given away Monday morning during a turkey giveaway from The Pendas Law Firm.
This type of giveaway event always has high demand – but this year, especially.
Eileen Whitlock told News4JAX she would likely forgo any celebration if not for giveaways such as these.
“Between Social Security and getting no food stamps, I have nothing just serve my family for Thanksgiving, nothing at all,” Whitlock said.
Sylvia Ragland got in line two and a half hours early. News4JAX asked what her holiday would look like otherwise.
“It’d be slim, slim to none,” Ragland said. “Because, you know, you got other things going on at the same time, too.”
Including a relative recovering from a stroke. This year, inflation is putting extra pressure on the supply chain – but turkey in particular has had a difficult year.
“The unique challenge was the turkey flu that happened probably around January and has created a shortage of turkeys,” Joel Piedra, President of Pendas Attorneys, said. “Getting turkeys has never been an issue and this year was an extremely difficult issue for us.”
But today, the Pendas Law Firm handed out hundreds of turkeys on a first-come-first-serve basis. For those in need, it’s already something to be thankful for.
“I am very blessed,” Whitlock said. “I thank the lord above for it. I really think the people that do it, that, you know, think about us in the community that doesn’t have.”
This is the 14th year the firm has hosted this giveaway event. Similar ones are happening at its offices in nine other communities in Florida.